Method of making a timer



Jan. 26, 1965 M. R. DOC K ETAL METHOD OF MAKING A TIMER Filed June 22, 1962 FIGZ . 24 INVENTORS.

===w- 22 MORTIMER RUSSELL DOCK ATTORNEY 20 GEORGE c. SWEENEY, JR. 24 2| BY LEWIS H. CHALOUX United States Patent 3,166,339 METI-IUI) OF MAKING A TIMER Mortimer Russell Duck, 7 Lexington Ave., New York, N.Y., and George C. Sweeney, Jr., and Lewis H. Chaloux, both of 1224 5th Ave, Watervliet, NY.

Filed June 22, 1%2, 561'. No. d,32 3 Claims. (61. 29-422) A further object of the invention is to provide a timer of the mentioned character which is sturdy and durable in construction, entirely free of bubbles within the timing fluid, reliable and accurate in operation and very economical in construction, being composed of inexpensive materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novelty timer which is highly attractive in appearance and so economical to make that it is suitable as a gift advertising device for distribution by large companies to customers and the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

I11 the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a timer constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the inven tion,

FIGURES 2-5 inclusive are sectional views, partly in elevation and partly exploded, illustrating the several steps of the method of manufacturing the timer shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 6 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the completed timer, and

FIGURES 7 and 8 are fragmentary sectional views partly exploded and partly in elevation showing a modification of the method of manufacturing the timer according to the invention.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, attention is directed first to FIGURES 1 and 6 showing the completed timer made in accordance with the method of FIGURES 2 through 5 The completed timer, FIGURE 6, comprises a transparent cylindrical tube 10, formed of clear thermoplastic material of any preferred type, and adapted to contain a body 11 of fluid, such as clear silicone fluid or the like. A ball 12 or like object of a different specific gravity than the fluid is disposed loosely within the bore of the tube 10 and has a diameter somewhat less than the internal diameter of the tube to allow ready movement of the ball through the fluid filling the tube.

The opposite ends of the tube 10 are closed in a fluid tight manner by resilient elastically deformable closure plugs 13, formed of rubber-like material and fitting snugly within the bore of the tube 10, and also serving as end stops to limit the movement of the ball or object 12 axially of the tube. The inner ends of the elements 13 are preferably tapered conically as shown at 14. Internal annular shoulders 16 are formed integrally upon the tube 10 near its opposite ends, and these shoulders engage the outer faces of the plugs 13 to lock the same firmly in assembly and in compressive sealing relation to the fluid 11.

Ornamental end caps 17 formed of plastic material or the like are applied over the oposite ends of the tube 10 and may be cemented in place, if preferred, or merely frictionally secured to the tube. These end caps 17 preferably have broad flanges 18 at their outer ends to facilitate supporting the timer upright on a level surface. The end faces 19 or" caps 17 are suitable for containing advertising indicia.

The use or operation of the timer is well-known in the art and is described in US. Patent 3,025,665, for example.

With reference to FIGURES 2 through 5, the timer described above with reference to FIGURES 1 and 6 is made in the following manner.

A section of open-ended clear plastic tube to become the tube It) is positioned upright on the table of a drill press or the like. The first closure plug 13 is brought adjacent the upper end of the tube. An upsetting tool 20, shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 3 and adapted to be carried by the movable head of the drill press, is now brought to bear on the top of the tube 10, FIGURE 3. The upsetting tool 20 has an inner plunger 21 adapted to engage the plug 13 and to fit inside of the bore of tube 14) with considerable clearance. The plug 13 is placed within the upper end of the tube 11 FIGURE 3, and the plug 13 being elastically deformable has a snug fit within the tube. The plunger 21 is brought to bear upon the plug and firmly positions it with respect to the tube, near and below the top end of the tube. The upsetting tool 20 also embodies an outer cylindrical sleeve 22 having telescoping and axial moving relation to the plunger 21 and surrounding the latter. The plunger 21 is adapted to project forwardly of the sleeve a fixed distance as shown in FIGURES 3 and 5. The sleeve 22 is adapted to be heated by suitable electrical heat control means 23 shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 3. While the plunger 21 engages the plug 13, FIGURE 3, the sleeve 22 is heated by the unit 23 and then shifted downwardly to engage the top end of the tube 10 inwardly of the outer circuference thereof. The sleeve 22 is smaller than the outside diameter of the tube 10 but larger than the inside diameter of the tube. When downward pressure is exerted on the heated tube 22 in a drill press or the like, the material of the thermoplastic tube 10 is softened adjacent the top end of such tube and the material is upset by the sleeve 22 to produce the internal annular shoulder 16 integral with the tube 10, near the top thereof and outwardly of the plug 13.

The tube 10 with the first closure plug 13 fitted therein is inverted, FIGURE 4, and the ball 12 is dropped into the bore of the tube and the body of fluid 11 is then introduced into the tube 10 to substantially fill it. The second resilient closure plug 13 is now inserted into the adjacent open end of the tube 10 and forced downwardly and the plug 13 is elastically deformed inwardly at one point on its periphery so that all air which might be trapped above the column of fluid can escape around the plug and no bubbles remain within the fluid or liquid. The upsetting tool 20 is now utilized to form the second annular shoulder 16 upon the tube 10 in the manner previously described in connection with FIGURE 3. In the closing of the second end of the tube 10, and after initial insertion of the second plug 13 and the expulsion of all air, the center plunger 21 of the tool 20 is caused to exert firm pressure upon the adjacent plug and which pressure is transmitted through the adjacent plug 13 to the column of airless fluid 11. While such firm pressure is maintained by the plunger 21, the outer sleeve 22 of the tool is again heated and brought to bear upon the upper end of the tube 10 to heat and upset the same and form the second flange or shoulder 16 internally and integral with the tube After cooling of the thermo plastic material constituting t e tube It), the second closure plug 13 will be firmly locked under compression within the tube.

The described method of constructing the timer is extremely advantageous from two standpoints. It provides an effective means of closing the ends of the tube without the necessity of se arable screw-threaded parts or the like likely to leak after assembly, and it provides for closing the ends of the tube 1 and completing the assembly while maintaining the column of lluid under compression through plugs 13 to eliminate bubbles. The method is also highly economical and requires the use of no expensive materials and it also eliminates the need for any close dimensional tolerances.

A modified form of the method and product is shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. in these figures, the identical transparent tube it) receives in one open end thereof the same elastically deformable closure plug 15 previously described in connection with RGURl-ES 25. Prior to operating upon each end of the tube 16 with the previously-des .ribed upsetting tool Ztl, FlGURE 8, a rigid metallic back-up disc for each elastically deformable plug 13 is pia ed outw rdly thereof in the bore of the tube 1% during the closing of each end of the tube in the previously-described manner. The method is carried out in the identical manner previously described, except for the fact that he end of the plunger 21 engages each rigid back-up disc 24 instead of the compressible plug 13 as previously shown in 3. This allows a greater or heavier compressive force to be applied by the upsetting tool on the closure plugs during the upsetting operation and in the assembled completed timer, the plugs 7.3 and the column of liquid may be permanently held under increased compression without the escape of liquid and with even greater assurance that no internal bubbles will develop in the liquid due to temperature changes, etc. The back-up discs 24 thus render the assembled timer somewhat more stable in construction and a bit more sturdy. However, the preferred form of the invention previously described is entirely satisfactory and is also simpler and more economical. All other parts of the timer not shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 and all other steps of the method are identical to those previously described in connection with FZGURES 1 through 6. While FIG- URES 7 and 8 show only one end portion of the timer and a portion of the method, it will be understood that the opposite ends of the timers provided with the back-up discs 24 are processed in the manner previously described in the preferred form of the invention, particularly in connection with FEGURES 2 through 5. The end caps 17 now shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 are also provided in the modified form.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of assembling and closing a fluid filled timer comprising the steps of supporting one end of an open-ended cylindrical transparent thermo lastic tube, in-

sertin a one-niece rubber-like elasticall deformable e i Y cylindrical plug into the open unsupported end of said tube to close such end in a fluid tight manner, applying heat and axial pressure to said unsupported end axially outwardly of said plug therein and in an annular area on end between the bore and periphery of the tube to upset the tube and form thereon an integral internal annular shoulder abutting the outer end of said plug around a peripheral portion thereof and axially inwardly of said end of the tube, inverting said tube and supporting the closed end thereof and introducing a movable timer object into the then unsupported open end of the tube and substantially filling the tube through said open end with a liquid having a specific gravity dihlerent from the specific gravity of said object, inserting a second one-piece rubberlilte elastical y deformable cylindrical plug into the then unsupported open end or" the tube in axial compressive relation to said liquid and elastically deforming the second plug radially inwardly to'allow the escape of all air from said tube, apply g axial pressure to the second plug tending to compress said liquid, and substantially simultaneouslv applying heat and axial pressure to said then unsuppo end of too tube axially outwardly of the second p in an annular area on said end between the bore periphery of the tube to upset the tube and orm thereon an integral internal annular shoulder abutg the outer end of the second plug around a peripheral po ion thereof and axially, inwardly of said end of the tule.

2. The invention as defined by claim 1, and the addin l steps of applying ornamental end stabilizing caps r the opposite ends of said tube to substantially conceal said plugs and shoulders.

3. The invention as defined by claim 1, and the additional steps of applyin thin substantially rigid back-up discs to the outer ends of said plugs prior to the application of said heat and axial pressure to the ends of the tube for upsetting the tube and forming said annular shoulders.

Reterences (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A METHOD OF ASSEMBLING AND CLOSING A FLUID FILLED TIMER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SUPPORTING ONE END OF AN OPEN-ENDED CYLINDRICAL TRANSPARENT THERMOPLASTIC TUBE, INSERTING A ONE-PIECE RUBBER-LIKE ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE CYLINDRICAL PLUG INTO THE OPEN UNSUPPORTED END OF SAID TUBE TO CLOSE SUCH END IN A FLUID TIGHT MANNER, APPLYING HEAT AND AXIAL PRESSURE TO SAID UNSUPPORTED END AXIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID PLUG THEREIN AND IN AN ANNULAR AREA ON SAID END BETWEEN THE BORE AND PERIPHERY OF THE TUBE TO UPSET THE TUBE AND FORM THEREON AN INTEGRAL INTERNAL ANNULAR SHOULDER ABUTTING THE OUTER END OF SAID PLUG AROUND A PERIPHERAL PORTION THEREOF AND AXIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID END OF THE TUBE, INVERTING SAID TUBE AND SUPPORTING THE CLOSED END THEREOF AND INTRODUCING A MOVABLE TIMER OBJECT INTO THE THEN UNSUPPORTED OPEN END OF THE TUBE AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE TUBE THROUGH SAID OPEN END WITH A LIQUID HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY DIFFERENT FROM THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SAID OBJECT, INSERTING A SECOND ONE-PIECE RUBBERLIKE ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE CYLINDRICAL PLUG INTO THE THEN UNSUPPORTED OPEN END OF THE AXIAL COMPRESSIVE RELATION TO SAID LIQUID AND ELASTAICALLY DEFORMING THE SECOND PLUG RADIALLY INWARDLY TO ALLOW THE ESCAPE OF ALL AIR FROM SAID TUBE, APPLYING HEAT AND AXIAL OUTWARDLY OF THE TENDING TO COMPRESS SAID LIQUID, AND SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING HEAT AND AXIAL PRESSURE TO SAID THEN UNSUPPORTED END OF THE TUBE AXIALLY OUTWARDLY OF THE SECOND PLUG IN AN ANNULAR AREA ON SAID END BETWEEN THE BORE AND PERIPHERY OF THE TUBE TO UPSET THE TUBE AND FORM THEREON AN INTEGRAL INTERNAL ANNULAR SHOULDER ABUTTING THE OUTER END OF THE SECOND PLUG AROUND A PERIPHERAL PORTION THEREOF AND AXIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID END OF THE TUBE 